All I Ever Wanted
by sissouthernink1994
Summary: Will Gardner loves singing the bachelor's song. It suits him. Or does it?
1. Intro

All I Ever Wanted

**Disclaimer:** I don't own "The Good Wife" but I love watching it.

**Warning:** T for now, maybe some language. Will probably change to M after a while.

**A/N:** Every time I watch this show, this story keeps popping in my head. Guess it's time I wrote it down and shared it with you.

**Summary:** Will rushed frantically through the halls of the ER, looking for her, praying she was safe. For the third time in his life, he felt as if he was loosing everything. He never realized how much he wanted this life with her until some lunatic with guns and a bomb nearly took it away.

He called out her name, asking every doctor and nurse he saw where she was, receiving a different answer every time. Hitting the nearest wall with his hand, Will was about to give up, thinking she was dead, when he heard her voice and ran to the sound of it.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered as his tears flowed and he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm here."

"Thank God!" he sobbed. "I don't know what I'd do without you," his hands travelled down to her protruding midsection and he kissed it. "Or without you."


	2. Coming Home

**Disclaimer**: I don't own.

**Warning:** T for now, will change to M later.

Chapter 1: Coming home

As she stepped off the elevator, she took a deep breath and smiled. The hustle and bustle was nice; lawyers and clients were everywhere. She had to admit, that busyness was something she missed deeply when she left her last firm; reassuring clients, the smell of old courtrooms and fighting for the rights of those who couldn't fight for themselves. Nevertheless, she discovered a new passion and she had to follow her heart. And for years, she had been happy.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked.

"Is Alicia Florrick available?" The young lady looked at the appointment schedule on her screen.

"Is she expecting you?"

"No, I just thought I'd come by to see if she had a few minutes."

"Let me check." She picked up the phone and made a called. "Mrs. Florrick you have a visitor… No ma'am she doesn't have an appointment… Okay." She hung up. "Follow me please."

"Thank you." The visitor followed the receptionist through the maze of cubicles around to Alicia's office. Alicia was talking to several people and the visitor came in on the end of her sentence.

"So with this new information, do we think she actually did it?" Kalinda asked.

"I hate to agree with Kalinda Alicia, but it certainly looks like we might be losing." Diane said. Alicia sighed.

"I know and I hate it. We all know Kalinda is good at her job and if she found this, it's more than likely true." Alicia replied.

"Ah, the life of a defense attorney. I have to say, I miss the challenge but not the headaches." Recognizing the voice, Alicia looked up from the evidence and what she saw turned her frown into a huge smile.

"Oh. My. God. **Zenobia**!"

"Alive and in living color!" Alicia stood and ran to her door to hug her friend.

"My goodness! Zenobia Gatewood how have you_** been**_?!" Zenobia and Alicia gave each other the hug their longtime friendship deserved.

"I'm good girl. Life is good." They broke apart and Alicia looked at her friend's face for the first time in about ten years. "I can see life is good for you too. Motherhood has treated you kindly."

"Well, with teenagers the wear and tear more on the inside than the outside."

"Teens? They're both teens now?"

"Yep, Zach even has a car."

"My lord, where _does_ the time go? The last time I saw them they were itty bittys."

"I ask myself that all the time. And they have Peter's height so they haven't been itty bittys for a while now. Oh where are my manners let me introduce you to my colleagues." She turned to the small conference table. "This is our investigator Kalinda Sharma and half of the company's namesake Dianne Lockhart; this is my college friend and roommate Zenobia Gatewood." Diane got up and came around to shake her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Zenobia. Alicia has mentioned your name from time to time. Welcome to Lockhart-Gardner."

"Thank you."

"If you're in need of a lawyer, Alicia's a good one."

"Oh no one knows that better that I do. We were always pitted against each other in mock trials and other classes. We learned how to be competitive together."

"Steel against steel." Alicia said.

"Absolutely." Zenobia replied as they did a little secret handshake.

Unbeknownst to the trio, the other namesake of Lockhart-Gardner was walking down the hall with Eli Gold and David Lee in tow, on their way to one of the large conference rooms. Will paused and looked in Alicia's office at her visitor.

"You go ahead; I'll be there in a minute." He said as he walked to her door.

"Pleased to meet you as well. We don't often get to see the people Alicia went to school with, except Will." Kalinda commented as they shook.

"Speaking of Will, where is Chicago's most eligible and determined to stay that way bachelor?" Just then, Zenobia heard his familiar voice.

"Are my eyes deceiving me…?"

"Aha speak of the devil and he arrives."

"Is that the famous Zenobia Gatewood standing in my law firm?" She turned completely around, hands on her hips.

"Could be infamous by now, depending on who you talk to. How are you handsome?" she said smiling and opening her arms to hug him.

"I'm good and surprised to see you!" He replied as they hugged. "It's a good surprise though. How the hell are you beautiful?"

"I'm good. Getting used to the city again. Haven't been here in forever. Oh and you can drop the Gatewood, I'm back to Bakari now."

"Bakari? For how long and what happened?" Alicia asked.

"What? Where's Deon?" Will asked.

"Happily married in Boston. I haven't been Gatewood for nearly twelve years."

"_What?"_ Alicia said. Zenobia nodded her head. "So you have the kids?"

"I wish. No kids."

"None? I would have thought you guys would have had quite a few. Deon always said he wanted a baseball team." Will said.

"He's on his way there. Actually us having a child was the beginning of the end."

"I don't follow."

"I was pregnant. He came with me to my first appointment, everything was great. We were leaving, going back to work. I made a left turn from the building, he a right. Without knowing it I drove right into a drag race in the middle of the day in downtown Atlanta."

"Oh my goodness." Alicia said she cover her opened mouth in surprise.

"I know right? Who does that? Anyway, he saw the accident in his rearview mirror and ran to my car. My pelvis was crushed as well as my leg and part of my spine. The baby didn't have a chance and I almost didn't."

"My god how did you recover?" Diane asked.

"It took a long time. When they finally rebuilt everything, including my uterus, they medically induced a coma on me for three weeks. PT took nearly three years. Deon was true to most of his vows, he was there by my side for the whole thing."

"Most of his vows?" Will asked. "Which ones did he break?"

"The most important…remaining faithful. He took care of me. There wasn't much I could do for myself, so he definitely saw the worst. I wasn't there physically and emotionally for him so he eventually found someone to lean on. Just happened to be my childhood best friend." Will and Alicia had confused looks on their faces.

"But wasn't your best friend…-" Will started.

"Your cousin Franklin?" Alicia finished.

"Yep. Of course, Frank was there, he was supposed to be because he's family. Apparently he was there in more ways than a few."

"Wow. I'm so sorry to hear that." Will said.

"I was too at the time. But we had to get over it because we're family and you know my grandmother Pauletta wasn't having it."

"So where is Deon now?" Alicia asked.

"Married to Franklin in Boston with their three kids and two dogs."

"You're a strong woman. I don't know if I could have done that." Diane said.

"Neither did I, until I was standing on the other side of it." Zenobia replied.

"So what are you doing back in Chicago?" Will asked. "Oh, wait don't tell me… you're the new lawyer at the Gladstone and Associates?"

"I didn't know they were hiring." Diane said.

"I heard about a position or two." Will replied.

"Nope. I did interview with them though. Wasn't going to be a good fit."

"Simpleton and West?" Zenobia laughed at that.

"I interviewed with them too. And you know me; I research the companies I deal with. I thoroughly checked them out but nothing in my research, and I mean _nothing_, told me that I would be the only ink spot in the whole damn law firm."

"They don't have _**any**_ African-American lawyers?" Diane asked shocked.

"Not a one. And I was _not_ about to be the first. I didn't see many women there either. Apparently, they want to attract more black and female clients. But they are mainly looking for more public defenders." Zenobia replied.

"Then why in the hell did they call you? If they had done **their** research, they wouldn't have bothered. Very stupid on their part. Very stupid." Will said. Alicia nodded.

"I agree."

"We should keep that mental note in mind if we're ever up against them." Diane said to Will.

"I went ahead with the interview, to be polite but you know I'll always follow my passion. For the last ten years that has been teaching and preparing the next generation of lawyers and judges. So you are looking at the next Dean in the School of Law at Loyola University."

"Wow, look at you! Congratulations Zenobia!" Alicia exclaimed and hugged her friend again. "That's wonderful."

"I agree, they couldn't have gotten a better person." Will said.

"Thank you. I'm very much looking forward to it. The current will be stepping down officially at the end of this semester because of health reasons. I'll be learning the ins and outs now and in January, I take over."

"Congratulations. I'm sure you're more than qualified." Diane commented.

"So since I know you two, and now I've met you Diane, I can count on you to help out the students in mock trials and so forth?"

"Absolutely." Diane said. She pulled her Blackberry out of her pocket. "Which app do you use?"

"Oh you can beam it if you want." Zenobia said as she pulled hers out to receive Diane's electronic business card. "I've got it."

"Let me know what you need, I'll be more than happy to help. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to get to. It was great to meet you Zenobia and I hope we can work together."

"Same here Diane."

"Actually I'm supposed to be in the same meeting." Will said looking at his watch. "Since I've been back officially it's been one thing after another."

"Back from what? Have you been sick?"

"No; that probably would have been more fun. I was on a six month bar suspension."

"A six month _**what?!**_ Will what did you _do_?"

"It's a long story and I promise to tell you. How does this work?" He asked trying to beam his info to Zenobia's phone. "Oh, wait, I see it now."

"Okay, I've got it. Look, you better call; you owe me an explanation."

"Yes, I do. I promise I will. Pizza and beer? Yes, no, maybe?"

"Uh…maybe." She said narrowing her eyes at him while smiling. "Linguine Carbonara and wine would be nicer though." Alicia laughed at their familiar banter. It had been ages since she'd heard it. Will laughed and kissed her cheek.

"And when have you ever known _me_ to be nice?" Zenobia laughed heartily. "God I've missed you. Welcome back Zen."

"Thanks Will." and he left for his meeting. Kalinda smiled at their banter as well. She thought it was… interestingly cute.

"I need to go too. It really was nice meeting you Zenobia."

"Same here Kalinda." As she walked out, Kalinda closed the door behind her.

"Are you settling in okay?" Alicia asked as she began beaming her info to Zenobia's phone.

"Yes, I found a nice house in a great neighborhood, not too far from my parents. Just getting used to driving around the city again. Thank God for GPS. You and Peter should stop by. I'd love to see him. Zach and Grace too."

"Ah, I'll definitely stop by. I can even bring the kids. Can't guarantee he'll be with me though." Alicia replied as she folded her arms across her and leaned on the back of a chair.

"Hmm mmm. I figured as much. Why do you think I suggested it?"

"It's complicated."

"So I've heard."

"You heard in Atlanta? What have you heard?"

"This and that. And I heard it in Charlotte; you know how lawyers like to talk and try to spin politics. The bottom line is do you want to be back together? Do you want your marriage to work?" Zenobia asked. Alicia thought and shrugged her shoulders.

"Depends on the day. I want it to do more than just work, you know?"

"All to well. I was there, it's not easy. You and Peter are still fixable. I lost Deon to Franklin; no coming back from that." Zenobia gave Alicia a reassuring smile. "Well, I'm sure you have work to do and I need to hit the grocery store. And Wal-Mart, I gotta find a Wal-Mart. We'll talk when you come by."

"How's Friday? Peter has the kids this weekend."

"Works for me."

"I'll bring wine."

"Even better." They laughed, each remembering old times.

"I'm sorry about what happened between you and Deon. I thought if anyone could make it work, it would always be the two of you."

"I've always thought the same of you and Peter."

"Yeah, well. I'm happy with what's going on in your life."

"Thanks Alicia. So am I. It's a great place to be."

Will's big meeting ended and everyone returned to their respective offices. David had followed Eli into his office to ask him something. Just then, Eli saw Kalinda walking the hall and he called out to her.

"You rang?" She asked as she stuck her head in.

"What is this, the Addams Family?" David asked. Eli ignored the comment.

"Yeah, a couple of questions for you my dear Ms. Sharma. Will had sort of a goofy grin on his face during the meeting and I could tell he was a little distracted."

"That's a statement, not a question." Kalinda replied.

"I'm getting to it. Any reason why? Second question, who was the woman we saw in Alicia's office earlier?"

"Ah, this will be easy. The answer to both questions is Zenobia Bakari."

"Zenobia Bakari? Who is that?" David asked.

"The woman in Alicia's office and I'm guessing the reason Will had a goofy grin on his face."

"Who is _she_? I want to know everything about her."

"She's an old friend of Will and Alicia's from college. Apparently, she's a top-notch lawyer. She recently interviewed with Simpleton and West and Gladstone and Associates."

"Well, I heard Simpleton and West are looking for black and female lawyers. I guess the discrimination suit is headed their way. If she had accepted, it would have changed things." David said. "She must be worth it Gladstone only takes the top of the top."

"She turned them down as well."

"What the hell for? I hear it's a great firm." Eli asked.

"To become the Dean of Loyola's Law School." Eli and David looked at each other.

"Wow." That's all they could say.

"Top notch indeed." David said.

"Anything else?" Kalinda asked. "I sorta need to get back to work."

"Yeah. Using your perception, what do you think of the goofy grin?" Remembering what she witnessed in Alicia's office earlier, she wasn't about give Eli that info without knowing what Will thought of it first. Kalinda prided herself on her skills of perception. And being able to hide what she knew and when she knew it. She knew what she saw in Will's eyes. She knew.

"I didn't see it so I'm guessing it was just goofy? What's there to think about?"

"I guess he liked what he saw?" Eli asked. Kalinda shrugged.

"Maybe you should ask him that."

"Hmm, maybe I will. Thank you Kalinda." She left for her office.

"Just what are you up to?" David asked.

"You never know." He paused. "Now, what did you want to ask me?"

It was the end of the day and Alicia was about to head out but stopped by Will's office first. He was nearly neck deep in files and phone messages. His normally organized desk was anything but.

"Your desk looks like a warzone." Alicia said.

"It feels like one too. I shudder to think what it would look like if nobody had given me updates for the past six months."

"Lesson learned?"

"Yep, ingrained on my brain like a tattoo." Alicia sat on the arm of one of the chairs.

"So what do you think about Zenobia's news? Isn't it wonderful?"

"Absolutely! I love it for her. I think she'll be great at it and those students will benefit immensely from her expertise. And she still looks the same…hasn't changed one bit."

"Her hair is finally the length she wanted it. I like it on her."

"So do I. I'm sorry about her and Deon though."

"Yeah, me too." Just then, Diane walked in.

"Your friend Zenobia is making quite a splash already. Two prominent articles circulating the lawyers' circle already. The Women's Lawyers Guild has a bright spotlight on her. And it's a great article. Word is they haven't chosen a speaker yet and want her to speak at their winter charity ball in a few months. "

"I'm glad. Zenobia is a strong force to reckon with when it comes to the law. If she decides to run for any vacant judge positions, she will turn heads." Will said.

"I'm very happy for her." Alicia said. "She deserves it." She gathered her things. "See you guys tomorrow."

"Night." Will replied.

"Good night Alicia." Once they were alone, Diane sat down in front of her partner's desk and he offered her a drink.

"Join me?"

"Not tonight. Don't feel like celebrating much after seeing the evidence Kalinda dug up for the Shepherd case." Will sighed.

"I know. We just might have to play this one out. It could turn in our favor."

"I hope so." She sighed. "On a lighter note, I noticed your attitude seemed a little happier earlier today."

"Yeah, every time I wasn't sitting here it was lighter than air. I hope to catch up on all this by the weekend. Kalinda has nicknamed my desk the wasteland."

"Appropriate."

"Unfortunately."

"So you, Alicia, Peter and Zenobia were the awesome foursome huh?" Will laughed.

"More like four plus five; there were nine of us. Deon, her now ex, Bobby, Keith, Lisa and Elise. We were all kinda nutty but somehow we kept each other in line. Zen was the stickler for studying. Then when things got too serious, she would make us all laugh though. Some of the best lawyer jokes I've ever heard came from her." He shrugged and smiled at the memory.

"Well, I can tell seeing her did something to you."

"What? Me? Nah, just hadn't seen her in a while. Glad things are going well for her."

"Hmm mmm." She as she smiled and stood to leave.

"What? I genuinely am happy for her."

"I believe you. Good night Will." Diane called from the hall.

"But I am happy for her."


	3. The Welcome Wagon

**Disclaimer**: I don't own.

**Warning:** T for now, will change to M later.

Chapter 2: The Welcome Wagon

"Now where did I put those desk supplies?" Zenobia stood in the middle of her new office scratching her head. She was surrounded by boxes and bags of things to decorate it with. The phone on her desk rang but she was too surrounded by things to run over and answer it. "Hopefully they'll think it's important enough to leave a message. Wait… did I even set up the voicemail?" She thought of her mental checklist and decided that she hadn't. It was on the list of things to do so she could check on it later.

She finally was able to clear a path to her desk and decided to group the boxes and bags together so things would be easier to find. Zenobia appreciated the help of the young men who brought the items into her office; she just wished she could have told them where to put things before they left. However, they were headed off to class. A knock at her open door drew her attention away from organizing but not enough to look in that direction.

"Hello," said the voice that followed the knock.

"If you're looking for Dean Block's office he's down the hall and to the left." She heard a shuffle at the door.

"I know what Dean Block looks like. However, it was your lovely face and figure I saw in Lockhart-Gardner yesterday so I'm pretty sure you're the one I'm looking for." Zenobia turned her head towards the door so quickly that the curls framing her face gently smacked her cheek. She saw a middle-aged man in an expensive suit with slicked back salt and pepper hair, leaning against the doorjamb. His eyes followed her hands as they came to rest on her jean-clad hips.

"I beg your pardon? How did _you_ see _me_ in Lockhart-Gardner yesterday? And how did you know I would be here, today?"

"My sweet lady, you don't have to beg. A smile from you and I'll tell you everything you want to know." He looked at her, hoping for a smile from her full slightly tinted red lips. Zenobia gave him an annoyed look instead.

"You have one minute to tell me who you are and why you're here before I yell for security." The man threw his hands up in surrender.

"OK, ok. Maybe I'll get a smile another day. My name is Eli Gold." He said stepping into the office and offering his hand to shake. "I own a PR firm located inside the offices of Lockhart-Gardner. I saw you in Alicia's office when I was walking with Will to a meeting." She shook the offered hand. "Welcome to the University."

"Um, thanks. I wasn't aware that you were a part of the welcoming committee; I thought I'd met everyone already."

"Oh, I'm not associated with the University in any way. Just being friendly." Zenobia was wary of this man.

"So you work in the office but you're not lawyer."

"Correct, but I did buy into the partnership so I have some input in what the firm does, on a grand scale anyway. Sometimes our clients need assistance from both sides."

"Ah, I see." She looked him up and down, trying to place where she had seen him. Or at least heard his name. Then she figured it out. "So you being Peter's campaign manager had nothing to do with you acquiring office space in Alicia's firm?"

"None what so ever. At least, none that I know of."

"Yeah right. You are aware that lawyers are pretty perceptive aren't you Mr. Gold?"

"Please call me Eli."

"Mr. Gold, why are you here?"

"To welcome you." Zenobia gave him another annoyed look.

"You have done your job. Now if you don't mind, I have an office to organize before I begin meeting with students and professors in a few days."

"Oh, of course." He turned towards the door, making as if he was ready to leave, and then pulled a Colombo move on her. "Uh, one other thing."

"Yes?"

"What night are you free for dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Yes. I'd like to take you out to dinner, get to know you on a personal level."

"Personal?"

"Yes. It is unlikely that our paths will cross professionally, unless you are in need of my services, which I doubt you will. I think getting to know you personally would be a great honor and pleasure."

"I don't know what's coming up in the next few weeks for me just yet."

"Oh, it's fine. I know how that can be. May I give you my card? It has all my contact information on it so you can call me whenever you are available." Eli handed Zenobia the card. She reluctantly took it.

"Thanks. I'll keep you in mind."

"Please do. I'm looking forward to having dinner with you."

A few hours later Zenobia had pretty much cleared her office of the boxes. The building engineers had come and thrown the boxes away. She made a mental note to use reusable totes the next time she was moving office items. It seemed to work better for home stuff and she didn't have to make a mad dash trying to find boxes when she needed to move. She hoped that wouldn't be anytime soon. She was in Chicago to stay.

She had finally navigated the voicemail system and set it up. She had logged into the university email system, setting that up as well as her student access page. Now she was taking a technology break by organizing her law books. The soothing sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, the only thing filling the air. Zenobia took a few minutes to pause and really recognize where she was standing. She was in her own office, not a law office but the office as the dean of a law school. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think she would be here. A lifetime lawyer was all she had hoped to be. A familiar voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Never thought you'd be here did you?" Zenobia turned around to see her old friend Peter Florrick standing in her doorway. "I know how you feel. I never thought I'd be the States Attorney."

"Peter!" She ran to her friend and gave him a huge bear hug. "Oh my god!"

"Hey Zenobia." Peter swung her around in a circle. "How are you?" He asked as he set her down.

"I'm awesome. And to answer your question, no I never thought I'd be here. Come in, come in. Let me show you around." Peter walked into the office, admiring her handiwork.

"This is an office worthy of a Dean. I like it. Nothing like trying to make it feel comfortable."

"I can't think of it as just an office or a space to talk with students anymore. To be honest, I'm not sure I'm ready for all this."

"Oh, of course you are. You wouldn't be here if they didn't think you were."

"What _they_ think and what _I_ think are two different things. It's not so much the students but the other professors. I'm not just a teacher and advisor anymore. _I'm in charge of the teachers_. These people have tenure and loyalty to the current dean. Some aren't too happy with the University's choice."

"That's normal Zen. Nobody's ever completely happy with change. But it's necessary and unavoidable. I hear Dean Block is sick, right? Nothing anybody can do about that. You'll be fine. And those who can't handle it, will seek employment elsewhere. I know you can do it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Zenobia replied.

"It's your name on the door that says 'Dean', not theirs. And speaking of name…"

"Yeah, I'm back to my maiden name." Peter sat down in the chair across from her.

"What happened? I always thought you and Deon were a sure thing."

"So did I. But when I had my accident he found solace in my cousin Franklin."

"I'm sorry…did you say Franklin? _**Franklin?**_" Zenobia nodded in agreement. "Wow."

"I know."

"I can't even imagine…"

"I couldn't either until it was happening. But they are happily married in Boston with their three kids, so I guess all is good."

"You're ok being single?" She shrugged.

"Sure. It's not as if I've been alone. I've had relationships since then, even been engaged again. But when it was proven that I really couldn't have kids after my accident, we couldn't stay together."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I found some other ways to channel my passion."

"Teaching. It's obviously paid off for you." Peter said looking around her office.

"It has." She nodded in agreement. "And you, State's Attorney huh? Twice."

"Yeah, it was a huge battle the second time around though. I never could have done it without Alicia."

"Speaking of your lovely wife and my friend…what exactly is going on between you two?" Peter stretched his legs out and then crossed them.

"Well, how much do you know?"

"I know about as much as the public knows I guess. I saw the scandal. Then I heard you were back together. Then I heard you were separated."

"You're filled in. How did you hear it anyway?"

"I was in Charlotte attending a conference and people were talking about it then. Now you know if the tongues were wagging outside of Chicago, then they're wagging here in the city."

"Well, we're trying to keep it out of the news. It's our personal life you know? Not everything we do should be front page news."

"Peter, you know people like to see their elected officials live proper lives."

"You mean pedestal lives."

"I guess you can call it that. People just want honest politicians and lawyers. You're both so we expect it twice as much from you."

"I know."

"So what are you guys gonna do?"

"Right now it's just a separation. We haven't decided on what to do. We make sure we're on one accord for Zach and Grace. They're innocents in all this."

"Yea they are. I want you back together; you two belong together. Deon and I didn't make it. I didn't have a chance after he said he had feelings for Franklin. I could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. But you and Alicia, you guys have a chance. I think you should explore your options. You do want it to work, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I love her and I want my family back together. It's gonna take some time, but I think we can do it."

"Are you going to run for any other political offices?" Peter sighed.

"I'm bouncing around the idea of running for State's Attorney again. But my campaign manager thinks I should have my sights set on higher positions."

"Such as?"

"Governor of Illinois." Zenobia's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Governor of Illinois? Are you ready for that?"

"I don't know. I've asked a lot of Alicia and the kids these past two elections. Pursuing the Governorship would be the biggest yet. I'd like to wait until the kids are out of school though. I don't want to interrupt their education anymore than I already have."

"How long would you have to wait?"

"Well, Zach just turned sixteen; he's a sophomore, Grace is fourteen. So at least five years. The election is every four years like the Presidential but I'd have to wait two years because I'd be in the middle of a term. And you know the Governor lives in the state capital. I don't know if Alicia will want to give up practicing. She was out of it for so long and now it's a part of her like you wouldn't believe."

"Speaking of your campaign manager…"

"Eli? What about him?"

"He found out who I was, came here and asked me out to dinner."

"He did what?"

"He asked me out to dinner. He saw me in the office the other day and found out where I was. What do I make of that?" Peter shook his head.

"Your guess is as good as mine. Eli doesn't usually do things without a reason. Now he may be attracted to you; I don't know. I've never asked him what kind of woman he likes. Although I can tell you, you're nothing like his ex-wives."

"More than one?"

"Two actually. Children from both, I think. "

"Maybe he thinks I know something."

"You're not one for politicking or sharing, but he doesn't know that. I'm not sure what he's up to. I can talk to him, tell him to back off." Zenobia thought for a moment.

"Nah, let it roll. It won't take me long to find out what he's after."

Alicia was more than happy to leave her office with what she hoped was for the rest of the weekend, but she worked for Lockhart-Gardner; it wasn't a guarantee. She was able to spend a little time with Zach and Grace before Peter came to pick them up.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Zach asked his mother, as he sat next to her on the couch.

"Well, I have an old friend from college who has moved back into the city so I'm going to have dinner with her tonight and catch up. Maybe some laundry tomorrow."

"Is this her?" Grace asked, as she picked up the photo album on the table.

"Yep, that's Zenobia. I thought I'd find some pictures from our college days."

"Wow, that's such a pretty name." Grace replied.

"It matches. She's pretty."

"Zach!" Grace exclaimed as she hit his arm. "She's like mom's age." She whispered. Alicia laughed.

"No, Zach is right. Zen has always been a pretty girl. And she would be flattered."

"She's a lawyer, so I don't think she's into breaking the law. We won't be going out." Grace shook her head as she laughed. "So what are you guys gonna do tonight?"

"She's gonna make dinner and we're gonna catch up. Just simple." Alicia said.

"Look at the picture of dad." Zach said laughing. "He looks so….I don't know." Grace laughed as well.

"How old were you guys in this picture?" Alicia looked at the picture Grace was referring to.

"Oh, I don't know. Twenty-three maybe? We were young; probably goofing around on campus one day."

"You don't look so different…" Grace said.

"Yeah right. Zenobia said the same thing the other day. She was my roommate for a long time. Best roommate ever. She would get into these cooking moods where she would cook and make enough food to freeze and last for weeks. She'd also cook for us during exams. She was a stickler for making sure we ate so we had energy to study."

"So Zenobia was friends with you and dad back then?" Zach asked.

"Zenobia actually introduced the two of us. But there were nine of us hanging out, trying to make it through school together. We had a lot of fun times." The doorbell rang. "Well, that's probably your dad." Alicia got up to answer the door.

"Hey." Peter said when the door opened.

"Hey yourself." Alicia replied as she stepped back to let him in. "They're grabbing their stuff." Peter glanced at the coffee table, seeing the photo albums Alicia had found.

"Are those what I think they are?" He asked. Alicia nodded as she laughed.

"Yeah, I thought I find some old pictures to take to Zenobia's. I can't believe how young and different we look. Zach even said Zen was pretty."

"Well, she did look good. Hasn't changed much at all."

"You've seen her?"

"I stopped by her office to welcome her back. She says she's nervous, but I think she will do an exceptional job as their Dean."

"I agree. She'll make her mark in no time."

"You didn't talk with Eli this week did you?" Alicia frowned at the name but shook her head.

"No. Why? Do I need to?"

"I don't know yet. He showed up at Zen's office to ask her out on a date. For dinner."

"Eli?"

"Eli."

"I didn't think she was his type of woman."

"I told her the same thing." Alicia gave her husband a serious look.

"What is he up to?"

"I've been trying to figure that out and I'm coming up empty. I offered to talk to him but she said she could handle it."

"Yeah, it won't take her long to figure out his agenda."

"Hey dad." Grace said greeting her father with a hug.

"Hey Grace. How are you?"

"I'm good. Ready for movie night. I get to pick this time, right?"

"Aw, not again." Zach groaned as he came in on the last part of the conversation. "That last movie you picked was awful."

"It was a good movie. You just didn't understand it."

"No one understood it."

"Yes, it is your turn. We'll pick an alternative just in case we have to bail on it, agreed?"

"Agreed." They both replied.

"Ok," Alicia said. "Give me hugs." She hugged her children. "Have fun, not too much pizza. And try to eat some fruit and veggies this weekend ok?"

"Yea ma'am" They said.

"And you have fun catching up with Zen." Peter said.

"I will."


End file.
